This calming moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Arbutin to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Oryza Sativa Extract and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantArbutin
AntioxidantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingEgg Oil
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientOryza Sativa Germ Oil
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingAronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
AntioxidantPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingWater, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Arbutin, Adenosine, Beeswax, Egg Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingEclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantAcmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
AntioxidantOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialVigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLeucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingDiospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Methylpropanediol
SolventGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientTrehalose
HumectantPentaerythrityl Distearate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientFructooligosaccharides
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantWater, Oryza Sativa Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Niacinamide, Phenyl Trimethicone, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Methylpropanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Octyldodeceth-16, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Fructooligosaccharides, Disodium EDTA, Cellulose Gum, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Dextrin, Ceramide NP, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLaminaria Japonica Extract is an extract of Japanese kelp, the same brown seaweed sold as kombu.
This ingredient is usually extracted from dried, ground kelp with water or a water/glycol mix. Most of what ends up in your bottle is mostly big sugar molecules, minerals, and amino acids rather than oils.
Those sugars help hold water and form a light film on the skin's surface, giving it humectant and mild-barrier supporting properties.
The best human data is a small Korean study where a cream with 10% extract upped skin hydration about 14% over placebo and cut water loss through the skin for up to eight hours.
Beyond this study, most of the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory claims come from mouse and cell studies; these studies found that topical kelp sugars preserved collagen in aging mice and the extract calmed UVB-triggered inflammation markers in cultured skin cells.
Though this sounds promising, it isn't the same as proof on human faces.
Industry data shows this ingredient is usually used anywhere from 0.0005% - 5%. Most leave-on products sit well under 1% and the 5% end mostly shows up in bath products.
Allergy-risk for this ingredient looks low as well. A cream with 10% extract patch-tested on 25 people caused no irritation and there have been no sensitization reports either.
There is one real allergy report on "laminaria" that involves medical cervical dilators made from whole dried kelp stems inserted internally; though this is a very different exposure from a few tenths of a percent in a serum.
Learn more about Laminaria Japonica ExtractSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water